The superintendent of a school district in Doniphan, Missouri, issued an apology after a middle school student was accidentally left trapped on a school bus for four hours. The incident occurred when the student fell asleep during the morning ride to school and was unnoticed when the other students disembarked and the bus was locked up.
The student, Joseph McGonical, woke up to find himself alone on the bus with no one around. Despite trying to open the door and listening to the radio for help, he remained trapped until a mechanic discovered him during routine maintenance about four hours later. The student’s mother, Rachel McGonigal, expressed shock and concern, especially since it was a special needs bus. The superintendent explained the standard procedure for bus drivers to check the bus before locking it, but this bus lacked a child safety alarm, which is now being rectified.
